Burning Ambition
by Unborn Lord Xion
Summary: 50 years after the rise and fall of the Akatsuki, heroes have died and moved on.  Now, new warriors must take their place in this new and dangerous world, with ominous foes lurking just beyond the horizon.  Kouryuu Yobou has the ambition to be this hero.
1. Dawn of the Dragon, Dawn of Ambition

**Title**: Dawn of the Dragon, Dawn of Ambition

**Fandom**: Naruto: Burning Ambition

**Rating**: PG-13

**Warnings**: Original Characters. An attempt at being epic. Violence, strong language, possible adult contact.

**Word Count**: 2029

**A/N**: And so, Burning Ambition begins, a saga with a suitably, ah, ambitious title. It takes place approximately 50 years after the current time of Naruto. Most of the cast is dead; ninja don't have long life expectancies. A few, though, still live, and will make a few cameos. Don't expect much, though. Mostly, this is about the newbies. I hope you enjoy.

* * *

Every morning, the Hachidaime, Sanada, would stand on the balcony outside his office.

There, he would watch the sun slowly rise from behind the Hokage Faces, seeing its light flicker and flare off of Sarutobi, Minato, Tsunade, Kakashi and, finally, Naruto. The former Hokage, and his teacher. When the sun's light splashed fully across Naruto's face, Sanada would always stop and rub the long, dark scar that ran down his cheek. He had earned it in the same battle that had earned him the position of Hokage – and taken away his dearest friend.

That had been ten years ago, now. Ten long years.

Sanada knew he was beginning to get on in years. He was still in his prime physically, and forty wasn't so terribly old, but day by day he could see the lines grow on his face, the gray become more and more present in his dark, thick hair. He would not last forever, he knew. That was a point fate had driven quite fiercely into his heart.

Someday soon, he told himself, he would have to take a pupil. Someone to rear, someone to pass on the knowledge the last Hokage had given him. Who, he was not yet sure. But as his eyes fell on the Academy, where he had graduated nearly thirty years past, he knew the time was coming soon to choose.

It would have to be someone strong. Someone wise. Someone with talent, and spirit, and the Will of Fire inside him.

Someone with the ambition to greatness.

With another sigh of weariness, he turned from the mountain and walked back into his office. Lifting the broad hat of the Hokage, he set it once again on his head and started for the door. He had missions to hand out, and he had a feeling this was going to be a long day.

Team 10 was due for another mission, and that was never easy.

* * *

Sometimes, Yobou would take the sun into the palm of his hand.

Born to parents he could hardly remember, Yobou had been alone for longer than he'd had family. They had been killed when he was very young. In war, of course. The Kouryuu were proud, mighty warriors, and there was no other way one would die but on the field of battle. But they had left Yobou alone, with only the fading memory of their faces and their voices.

So with little else, Yobou remembered their strength. He remembered their honor. Their pride, their strength, their desire. Their ambition. He told himself, in the times when he was alone, when he was young, when his eyes still welled with tears at the loss, that he would live to make them proud. He would live so his name echoed even into the world beyond.

He trained to be a shinobi from the time that he could walk. Day after day he practiced his taijutsu, his ninjutsu, until he was tired and bleeding and could barely stand. It was on one of those long training missions when he was still young and unskilled that a rogue kunai ricocheted from a target and gashed across his eye. He spent a week in the hospital and has worn an eye patch ever since.

Little time did he have that was not spent training. Little time did he have for relaxation, for quiet introspection. He was a warrior. The greatest warrior ever born, he told himself. The greatest shinobi. So until he finally graduated the academy, he trained and trained and trained until he had nothing left.

Once he'd earned it, he wore his hitai-ate proudly around his waist for all to see, and never took it off.

After graduating, he finally gave himself time to rest. Time to relax. He had proved himself, and could give himself a break. For now, at least. There would be time for more training later. He was twelve, and he had all the time in the world.

In his times of relaxation, he often spent them on roofs. There he would lie back and just watch the sky, watch the endless expanse of blue. The sky spoke to him. Made him feel at peace. Perhaps it was that it was in his name, a name that spoke of greatness. Kouryuu. Sky Dragon. He looked up at the blue sea above and knew that someday, he would rule it.

He lifted his hand and, smirking, wrapped his fingers around the sun.

But he could not hold it, and it slipped from his fingers, as did time itself. Yobou was slightly bothered by the thought, but closed his eye and began to rest. The day dragged on around him, in silence, in peace. But not for long.

"Oi, Kouryuu!"

Yobou's eye snapped open and he rolled across the roof, flipping from his back so he was crouched instead. A blade whistled through the air and struck where his face had been a second before. He drew one of his tonfa, weapons inherited from his parents, with blades that curved from wrist to elbow, and flicked it out, crouched on both feet and one hand. His eye found his attacker, and he sighed.

"Ginmaru," he groaned, mentally kicking himself for being caught off guard.

"Going to sleep the day away, Kouryuu?" Ginmaru asked, a sneer crinkling the corners of his eyes. He lifted his sword from where it had struck the roof and flicked it up so the dull side rested across his shoulders.

Zensei Ginmaru was one of Yobou's teammates, an antagonistic and arrogant young man. Heir to the Zensei family of swordsmen, he had a reason for his ego, the only son to a proud and honored lineage and a prodigy with the sword in his own right. His dark good looks didn't help any, with stormy gray eyes, silky silver hair, sharp features, and a body well toned by his brutal training regime.

His looks were not detracted by and possibly enhanced thanks to the scars that crossed over his chest, displayed proudly by the open black jacket and mesh shirt he wore. Occasionally, though, Yobou would see the edges of scars on his face, the bottom half of which was always covered by a black mask. He never asked why only those were hidden.

Regardless, Yobou didn't care about Ginmaru's breeding, and wasn't swayed by looks, good or bad. He just saw a skilled fighter, an arrogant fighter, a fighter who would have to be bested down the line. Ginmaru was not his greatest rival, but was a rival all the same.

"I was just getting rested up after that mission," Yobou said simply, rising to his feet properly. He stood in a loose pose, eye closed, weapon drooping from his hand and arm bent lazily at his side. To the untrained eye, it would appear he was totally unready. As he spoke, however, his empty hand was going to his other tonfa. "I wanted to be in top condition when I kicked your ass today."

Ginmaru snorted, flexing a hand so his joints popped loudly. It was one of his more obvious habits, and Yobou found it terribly grating. "You think you can beat me, Yobou? Come on and try me, then, little dragon."

Yobou was moving in an instant. Both blades were in his hands, his arms stretched wide, and they cut in a wide arc as he brought his hands forward. Ginmaru's arm tensed and his sword flickered forward from his shoulder, slicing down to meet the steel of the tonfa as they crossed in front of Yobou's chest.

For a moment they paused and then Yobou pushed forward again, lifting Ginmaru's sword up and throwing him off balance for a moment. Before he could react, Yobou's hands circled around and shot forward, the heels of his hands striking against Ginmaru's chest. He stumbled back, long locks of hair whipping around his face.

"Your defense is getting sloppy, Ginmaru!" Yobou laughed, twirling the grip of one tonfa in his hand. The blade spun in lazy arcs beside his hand. He bobbed lightly on his feet as he waited for Ginmaru to recover, and the two bells that dangled from the sash around his waist tinkled merrily.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Ginmaru said, running a gloved hand through his hair to push it out of his face. He flashed a grin, or at least Yobou assumed, unable to actually see his lips. "I guess both of us are half-asleep, mm? I guess you're just that dull!"

On the last word, Ginmaru darted forward, and he lashed out with his sword again, both hands locked tightly around the crimson-wrapped grip. Yobou ducked and weaved around a suddenly flurry of cuts, aimed at his stomach, his arm, his head. The last high slash whistled through the tip of his spiked hair, and he saw a few strands of dark blue waft down from the top of his head.

"I guess I am due for a bit of a haircut," Yobou said, lips twisted in a crooked smile, and his eye flashing golden glee. "Thanks for the favor, Gin!"

Suddenly he flipped his tonfa so the blade extended past his fist and his arm shot out in a long arc. The edge just barely scraped across Ginmaru's cheek as he whipped his head to the side, leaving a slender red trail. Following up without a second to think, Yobou's leg bent up at the knee and then shot forward, foot driving into Ginmaru's chest and shoving him back again.

The two stood in tense silence, shifting blue-gray eyes meeting brilliant gold again. Ginmaru brought up his sword to an attacking stance, and Yobou did the same with his tonfa. Both had iron grins and a manic fire in their gaze.

They moved.

Ginmaru had his sword held at his waist, tip pointed behind him, ready to sweep forward in a terrible arc.

Yobou had one hand drawn back, the other lifted as a guard.

They were ready for a glorious clash, a brutal melee of blood and steel, where only one could come out victorious.

And they were intercepted.

As they stood a mere five feet apart on the roof, a shadow flickered up from below. Before either could react, it was swinging something forward between them, hitting the ground with crushing force. A cloud of dust and fragments of the dull red roof tile flew up in the air, making the two rivals take pause where they stood.

In the cloud stood a girl, short and not particularly intimidating to look at, dressed in a baggy green sweater, unusually large belt, and a skirt. Messy red hair whipped around her face, just barely restrained at all by the hitai-ate across the top of her head, and her glittering green eyes went from one boy to the other. She stood up and flicked up her nunchaku so they fell across her shoulders, staring down Yobou properly before giving Ginmaru an ugly look.

She was Kagami Imi, and she was their other teammate.

"Come on, you bozos," she grumbled. "Eiri-sensei says its time for a mission, and you know she hates to be kept waiting!"

* * *

_Little Details Corner -_

In case you're interested:

_Kouryuu Yobou_ – Last name is Sky Dragon, first name is the characters for Ambition and Glory.

_Zensei Ginmaru_ – Last name is New Life, first name is just Silver with –maru as a name ender.

_Kagami Imi_ – Her first and last name can mean Mirror and Meaning respectively, but would be written in hira and katakana, so there's no particular meaning.

_Shinsai Eiri _– Eiri, like with Imi, is written in katakana. Her last name, however, means disaster.

_Sanada Hachidaime_ – Named for Sanada Yukimura, famous samurai from the feudal age known for his Sanada Juuyuushi, the ten ninja bodyguards.

_"Little Dragon"_ – Ginmaru's nickname for Yobou is actually supposed to be a pun off of Yobou's last name, Kouryuu, as "Little Dragon" is "Koryuu." A pun, see?

Ginmaru's sword is named "Benizou," meaning "Crimson Hate." If you were curious. Yobou and Imi's weapons are nameless, however.


	2. Team 10 Assembled!

**Title**: Team 10 Assembled! Hot Blooded Rivals Advance!

**Fandom**: Naruto: Burning Ambition

**Rating**: PG-13

**Warnings**: Original Characters. An attempt at being epic. Violence, strong language, possible adult contact.

**Word Count**: 2193

**A/N**: And so, the not-so-epic saga continues, introducing the lovely Eiri-sensei, guardian of the Three Stooges, as well as Team 5, and the newest mission for our heroes.

* * *

"You flat-chest bitch!"

Ginmaru walked with his arms crossed and his chin thrust out against the black fabric of his mask. His sword was back in its blood-red sheath now, and he was extremely irate at his duel being interrupted. Yobou, too, had his tonfa hanging in the back of his belt again, and Imi's nunchaku dangled by their chains on hooks attached to her belt. They walked together in a line, with Yobou in the middle, playing mediator as always.

For as long as Yobou could remember, Ginmaru and Imi had never gotten along. Ginmaru called her worthless, pathetic, a loser with no talent. Imi called him arrogant, noisy, a spoiled brat who could use a good head kicking. They fought endlessly, both verbally and physically, and as their teammate, Yobou was often caught in the crossfire.

"Oh, shut it, scar-face!" Imi shot back. She did, however, cross her arms as well, something almost like embarrassment flickering in her green eyes.

"You had no right to interrupt us, you aggravating little insect!"

"Oh, what, I should have just let you two kill each other again? Oh, yeah, that'd be real great for the team! Learn to pull your head out of your ass you – "

"Worthless bitch!" Ginmaru cut in sharply.

"Arrogant tit!" Imi spat back, fierce color rising in her cheeks.

Ginmaru started to pop his knuckles and Imi bared her teeth. Yobou fell back a little in step, not wanting to take the blows meant for either one. However, in the end, he needn't have worried.

"Children!"

The three froze where they stood, Ginmaru and Imi both looking wide-eyed and sheepish. Slowly, the two turned from their glaring to look down the path. Standing at the base of a tree, looking quite non-plussed, was Shinsai Eiri.

One of the younger Jounin, Eiri was respected and feared in equal measures by her charges. She had something of a motherly attitude, which meant both encouraging words and hard knocks when they raised her ire, and the muscles that rippled under her dark skin showed just how hard those knocks could get.

Being a pupil of the famous Rock Lee himself only made it more ominous studying under her. Luckily, though, in the opinion of almost everyone, she had given up the green leotard. Instead, her trademark was a simple black leather collar around her throat, and her clothes gave a fair amount of show to her lean muscles.

Overall, she was incredibly intimidating, at least to her three students. Especially when her handsome features were etched into a look of displeasure.

"You're late," she said, her low voice cool and dangerous. "Ginmaru, I thought you were finding Yobou. Why did I have to send Imi to collect you both?"

"Well, you see..." Ginmaru began, but Imi didn't give him the chance.

"They were fighting _again_, Eiri-sensei," she huffed. Ginmaru shot her a withering glare but she just lifted her nose and looked the other way.

Eiri sighed and rubbed her temples slowly with two fingers. Oh, it was going to be a long, long day. She couldn't remember a time she'd been properly relaxed since she'd gotten assigned her students.

"Well shape up, the lot of you," she said at last. "We're due for another mission, so get in gear and let's move. And no more bickering from the two of you, or else!" she added, wagging her finger at Ginmaru and Imi each in turn.

The two shrunk away and Yobou just grinned a little at their reaction. Without another word, and in a rather uncomfortable silence, Team 10 headed for the Hokage's office.

* * *

The Hachidaime sat in the center of the mission assignment room and sighed the moment he saw Yobou shove open the doors, arms spread wide and a cocky grin plastered on his face.

"So, gonna start dishing up the S-Ranks yet, old man?" he said loudly.

Sanada let out another sigh and reached up to massage the bridge of his nose. Kouryuu Yobou was a good ninja and a talented young man, but he was nothing if not cocky, and after a while it tended to get tired.

"Kouryuu Yobou…" Sanada began, with every intention of chastising the young man, or possibly just explaining the mission ranking system again in hopes it would sink in this time. However, he didn't get the chance.

"Apologies, sir. Kouryuu-san is quite loudmouthed. _And_ thickheaded."

At the biting words, both Yobou and Sanada turned their heads. Standing to the side, inspecting his black fingernails, was Yuuko Takeru.

Ginmaru might have been his functional rival on the team, but Takeru was his true eternal opponent. Distant, cold, and just as proud, he had been clashing against the hotheaded Yobou from their first meeting. The only thing they had ever had in common was their mutual goals – to be the best, no matter what the cost. Other than that, they couldn't have been more different; Takeru tall and lean, handsome in a savage way, with fierce green eyes and burning orange hair flared with black.

"Oh, Takeru," Yobou said stiffly, keeping a forced smile on his face. "Here to pick up your potato-digging mission?"

Before Takeru could answer, though, a girl sprung up behind him, throwing an arm around his chest. Her face was round and cheerful, with fuzzy blonde hair and large, honey brown eyes. Two black rings circled her wrist, and Yobou knew they were mirrored on the other. She was Kurodeki Mitsu, Takeru's bubbly and ever-smiling teammate. Yobou sometimes wondered how she could work with such a dour, solitary guy – or how he could stand her.

"Actually, we're going to go rescue a kitten!" she said cheerfully.

"Mitsu," Takeru growled warningly, the world rumbling from the back of his throat. "Get off of me."

"Aw, lighten up, Takeru-kun!" a voice suddenly boomed. Takeru shuddered as a massive hand clapped down on his shoulder.

The man was gigantic, broad and towering, rippling with muscle under deeply tanned skin. The lower half of his face was covered with a thick brown beard, his large square teeth showing through in a wide grin. Instantly, Yobou recognized him – Hokuhi Shuzen, the leader of Team 5. He was loud, he was friendly, and he had the uncontrollable strength of an angry bear.

Shuzen's grin grew even larger and his small eyes sparkled as he looked down at Yobou. "Ah, here for a new mission, are ya, Kouryuu? Where's the rest of your team, huh?"

As if on cue, Eiri, Ginmaru, and Imi all strode into the room, Eiri's lips creased in a frown. She flipped her long black braid over her shoulder and planted her hands on her hips. "You shouldn't run ahead, Yobou-kun. It's impolite." Then, though, her eyes flickered to Shuzen, and they opened wider, like a deer in headlights.

"Eiri!"

The giant strode forward instantly, sweeping out his thick arms and grabbing her in what looked like an absolutely bone-crushing hug. Yobou was both amused and terrified to note that Eiri's head barely touched the bottom of Shuzen's beard. Then Shuzen's head rolled back and he let out a roar of laughter before pushing Eiri back, hands on her shoulders.

"It's so good to see you again, Eiri!" he beamed. "My, it's been ages! Pups been keeping you busy too, eh? Haa, but we need to chat sometime, sometime soon! And maybe get in another spar, ah, what do you say?" He lifted a hand and clapped it to Eiri's shoulder. It took everything in her not to shake.

Behind them, Yobou grinned, Ginmaru snickered, and Imi just looked pointedly away. On the other side, Mitsu giggled girlishly, while Takeru rolled his eyes.

"Shuzen-sensei, we really should go."

Ginmaru whipped his head to the side the instant he heard the cold, emotionless voice, and his eyes narrowed instantly. The last member of Team 5, Itogiri Kojiroh, had slipped to Takeru's side almost unnoticeably. Much like Takeru and Yobou, Kojiroh and Ginmaru had found a fierce rivalry with one another, based on their mutual use of the sword. He was almost always silent, and unnerving to be around, with his china pale face, ink black hair, and same-colored eyes.

He turned to Ginmaru slowly, and smiled with his ash-colored lips. "Ah, Zensei-san. It's been a while. I hope you've kept your Benizou sharp."

Behind his mask, Ginmaru's lips peeled back from his teeth, a look half between a sneer and a grin. His voice was aloof as he spoke, but his eyes never left Kojiroh's. "Always, Itogiri. Always. I'm itching to cross blades again, when you have time."

"Another day," Kojiroh said simply, bowing his head. He never blinked.

"Indeed," Takeru cut in, tilting his head back and standing up stiffly. "We really must go on with our mission, shouldn't we, Shuzen-sensei? I'm terribly sorry we can't share words any longer, but I'm sure you're as busy as we. Good day."

Without another word or another look, he strode across the floor of the room, skirting around Shuzen and Eiri. As he reached the doorway, he shoved past Yobou, shoulder crashing against his. Yobou turned and glared fiercely at the back of Takeru's head, but held his tongue.

Shuzen took a step back from Eiri and rubbed the back of his head, smiling sheepishly. "Ah, yes, well, I suppose the boy is right. We'll have to pick this up another time. But it was wonderful seeing you, my friend!" he said, with one last clap to the shoulder. "Come on, then, Kojiroh, Mitsu! Let's catch up to Takeru-kun, ah?"

Kojiroh followed him silently, steps not making a sound on the floorboards. Mitsu, on the other hand, just danced across the ground, flashing a smile to the other three. "Bye-bye!" she said lightly, and then vanished behind the other two.

Slowly, Eiri stretched out her arms, looking fairly annoyed and muttering darkly under her breath. She reached up and tugged at her collar to straighten it after Shuzen's jostling, then turned to look dryly at her students. "That's enough fooling around. It's time to get a mission."

Sitting at the long table, Sanada had a hand over his mouth, hiding what surely must have been a grin. Though he'd never admit it for propriety's sake, the show had been terribly amusing. He coughed, though, and forced himself to look stern and serious, tapping a clipboard on the table. Once he thought he had their attention properly, he began.

"We have a C-Rank mission for you, actually, since you've completed…" he paused, eyes flicking down to the clipboard. "Seventeen D-Ranks already."

"You see?" Eiri said in a low voice, head tilted back towards her students. "Patience, and you'll get what you want."

Ginmaru and Yobou both just huffed.

Sanada cleared his throat pointedly and carried on. "There's a caravan coming from the village out to an outpost, and you are to guard it from bandits along the way. Its not especially valuable, just a few supplies, so you shouldn't encounter heavy attack. Just be vigilant, and fight back anyone who attacks." He held out a slip of paper, which Eiri quickly moved forward to take. "There's the address and the caravan leader in question. Go talk to him, and he'll give you the full details. Well, dismissed."

As they left the room, Yobou couldn't help but grin. His first C-Rank. Roving bandits and raiders. This might just be fun.

* * *

Little Details Corner -

Names:

_Yuuko Takeru _– His last name is Brave Tiger, and his first name is a common name taken from the word for Strength, written in plain katakana. The fact that his name has Tiger and Yobou's Dragon is a reference to the Tiger and Dragon of Chinese legend, fierce rivals who can never beat one another. It is also a reference to Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin, the Tiger of Kai and Dragon of Echigo, two Sengoku era warlords with a fierce rivalry.

_Kurodeki Mitsu_ – Her last name means Black Stripe, and her first name is simply the word for Honey, but written in plain katakana. I wonder what her powers could relate to, mm?

_Hokuhi Shuzen_ – His last name is North Brown Bear, and his first name means a beard, or a beard and a moustache.

_Itogiri Kojiroh_ – His last name means Thread Cutter, a reference to the Greek Fates who cut the thread of life. His first name, on the other hand, is a reference to Sasaki Kojiroh, rival of the famous Miyamoto Musashi. In a duel, Musashi killed Kojiroh with a wooden sword carved from an oar. Again, his first name is written in just katakana.

As far as speech patterns are concerned, which are a little harder to get across in English, Takeru, Kojiroh, and Eiri are meant to speak in far more polite manners than most of the others. Ginmaru and Yobou are both highly informal, and use very arrogant first person pronouns. Shuzen, on the other hand, has a light Tohoku-ben accent.

Team 5, or Team Shuzen, have taken on 15 D-Rank missions. Team 10 has 17 D-Rank and now 1 C-Rank.

Kojiroh's sword, which is also named, is Mokufuu, meaning Silent Wind.

Lee did try to get Eiri to wear the green jumpsuit while he was training her, but she just never broke. The braid, however, is inspired by her sensei.


	3. Mission, Start! Caravan, head out!

**Title**: Mission Start! Caravan, Head Out!

**Fandom**: Naruto: Burning Ambition

**Rating**: PG-13

**Warnings**: Original Characters. An attempt at being epic. Violence, strong language, possible adult contact.

**Word Count**: 2570

**A/N**: It's about to be a what? A ninja fight! Okay, a ninja and a bunch-of-fodder-bandits fight, but you know what I mean. Time to see what our hapless heroes are really made of, huh? Who will come home with the highest body count? Time to find out! FAI-TO!

* * *

The sun filtered through the trees in golden pools of mottled light, and birds sang over head, light and cheerful. The sky was a clear and endless blue, unmarred by a single cloud. Despite this, the weather was mild, with a refreshing breeze to counteract the summer heat. It was, in short, a nearly perfect day.

Nearly perfect.

"Ahh, this sucks!" Yobou moaned. His hands were laced behind his head as he walked slowly after the caravan, and his face was tilted back to watch the swaying leaves overhead. The peace that most would view as simply adding to the day instead filled him with restlessness, boredom, dissatisfaction. He had come on this mission expecting constant bandit raids, but for hours now they had been walking unimpeded by even a boulder.

"Tell me about it," Ginmaru chimed in from his place further up along the road.

"Yeah, we haven't seen a bit of action," Imi added, standing opposite on the wagon from Ginmaru. She rolled her arm at the shoulder and then stretched it across her chest. Action or not, it paid to stay loose and ready to go.

Eiri just sighed at the words of her students. "We're not here for action, and the less we see, the better. I'm hoping not to have any at all. We're just a precaution. Worst case scenario." Despite her words, though, her eyes were steely and flicked from one side of the forest to the other, searching for the slightest hint of something wrong.

"Ha! Sounds like you've got some impatient little pups there," laughed the man sitting atop the wagon, Yoshimori.

Yoshimori was a merchant in the village of Konoha, a skinny man with a lined face and wispy gray hair, and the one who had hired Team 10 as his guards. He was likable and good-natured, and had offered the three Genin a fear bowl of ramen each at his store. However, he was not without his suspicions at being given three children as guards, even under Eiri-sensei's leadership. Still, he was more open-minded and less obvious about his mistrust than many of their clients, and for that, Yobou was thankful.

"You be glad we're eager to save your hide, old man!" Yobou called. "Better than a bunch of lazy guards, huh?"

"You've got that right!" Yoshimori called back, with another bark of laughter. He flicked the reins with a noisy crack to urge the horses on, and they lapped into another bout of silence.

At the outset of the journey, Yobou's nerves had been wound tight, making every sound three times louder and an omen of instant, life-threatening danger. Now, though, he was slowly relaxing again, not back to complacency but getting closer. It was only because there was nothing to listen to, really, that he even heard the twig snap. But his heart was quickly racing and he reached back to slip his hand around the grip of his elbow blade.

The kunai came out the brush with the whisper of leaves and the whistle of wind. Yobou stopped in his tracks and whirled, drawing out his tonfa and deflecting the attack in a single fluid motion. The blade whirled back into the shadows, but three armed men burst from the foliage instead, all older, bigger, and clearly more experienced.

"We've got company!" he shouted quickly, but there was no panic in his voice, just a calm desire to inform. He felt no fear at the sight of the dirty pack of bandits, no matter how big and tough they might have looked. He was a Konoha shinobi, after all - he feared no one.

The wagon stopped and replacing the creak of wheels and the sound of hoof-beats came the drawing of a sword, the clink of nunchaku chains, and the sound of more men emerging from the darkness.

"About friggin' time!" Ginmaru said, and he sounded just as enthusiastic and unperturbed as Yobou.

"Let's thrash 'em!" Imi called, joining the chorus. Under her words, though, was a faint tremor.

Eiri wanted to tell them not to be rash, not to rush into things foolishly, but knew it would do no good. And before the words could even form on her lips, a large man rushed forward and stabbed forward at her with a spear. She was gone before the man had even realized he'd missed, and his eyes widened in shock only when she snapped the shaft of his weapon with her fist. He had no time to react before she leapt up and swung her leg out in a vicious arc, sending him flying through the air. His heavy body struck a tree and it shuddered before cracking and leaning forward drunkenly.

"Who's next?" she announced, sliding into a fighting stance. She tossed her head back to left her braid fall down her back again, and narrowed her eyes to honey-brown slits. The two men before her faltered and then she took her chance.

The first was felled as she darted forward, faster than his untrained eyes could track, and her fist shot forward, diving into his bulging belly and making shockwaves run through it. He was thrown back hard and rolled across the ground, head cracking against a large stone. His comrade dropped a sword and turned to run but she already had him, grabbing him by the short hairs just above his neck and lifting him over her head only to send him crashing into the earth again in a smooth arc. She stood up again and opened her hand, letting the bloody hairs drift to the dirt below.

On the opposite end of the wagon, Yobou was likewise busy. A man rushed forward at him, knives in both hands, stabbing down with both only to have them blocked by Yobou's tonfa. He pushed up with both hands and, when the bandits arms flung open wide, drove both his hands forward in a hard blow, just as he'd done with Ginmaru earlier that morning. The man stumbled back and dropped his weapons, and then Yobou was on him again, leaping into the air and aiming a kick dead at the man's cheek. His head whipped to the side and then he crumpled to the ground.

One of the men tried to run but Yobou just flashed a grin. "Not so fast, buddy!" He cocked back one arm and, without a second thought, tossed his elbow blade forward. It flew true and stabbed through the man's shirt, cutting a gash in his shoulder and pinning him to the tree behind him. Yobou moved in before he could pull free and kicked him hard in the stomach, twisting with his foot still planted down to swing the other up to meet the man's teeth. He felt blood and spittle gush over his toes and grimaced, grabbing his thrown weapon and then pushing away.

Another came up behind him suddenly, swinging his sword down in a savage cut. Yobou twisted under it deftly and swung forward with a punch. His elbow blade cut through the man's cheek, making it bleed freely and causing him to let out a high shriek of pain. Not dwelling on the sudden, almost sickening gush of blood, Yobou swung his other hand forward and struck the man dead in the sternum with another punch, driving the air out of him. He feel back and hit his head against the wagon with a sick crack before slumping to the ground.

Smirking again, Yobou spun his weapons quickly to clean the blood off of them before calling out. "How're you doing, guys?"

"Been…better!" Imi said, more a grunt than actual words. Her arms were raised and her nunchaku stretched in front of her as one of the bandits pressed down with his sword, the blade scraping against the short chain. She twisted to the side suddenly and swung her foot forward, kicking him hard in the gut. His sword arm went slack and she dropped her nunchaku only to snap it up again, hitting him hard in the jaw.

As he fell against the ground, she turned swiftly and swung her weapon up just in time. Another man had been about to strike forward with a pole but her nunchaku made it explode in a cloud of splinters. She followed through by quickly twisting up on one leg and snapped her foot forward so the top hit the man directly in the throat. He coughed and hacked as he fell to the ground, clawing at his throat.

"Yeah!" she whooped loudly. "How do you like tha – aah!" She didn't have long to gloat, though, as another man snuck up behind her.

Luckily for her he, too, wielded a blunt pole, the end of it jabbing painfully into her ribs. She just snarled to mask the pain and whipped around on her heels, her elbow smashing into the side of his face. His head whipped to the side and he stumbled back, giving her time to jump up and lift her nunchaku high into the air. The polished black shaft swung down and hit his shoulder hard, instantly breaking it out of its socket. He barely had time to scream in agony, though, before she smashed her knee forward into his face, making his nose explode like an overripe melon.

"Dick!" she hissed, looking down at his crumpled body as her feet hit the ground again. "He got blood all over my pants! Gah!"

"It's your fault for getting sloppy," Yobou called, and Imi turned her head up to see him standing atop the wagon's roof. He grinned as he crouched down over the edge before standing up again, scanning the woods for any more bandits.

On the other side were the only ones remaining though, a pair with swords, and Ginmaru was keeping them both busy. His sword flickered back from one to the other, parrying and blocking deftly. Only adding to their difficulty was the long black cloak that swirled around him, making it hard to tell where the cloth ended and his body began.

"My cousin fights better than you two," Ginmaru said with a smirk behind his mask, twirling under one man's high slash only to come up and nearly nicking the other's ear clean off. "And she's eight!"

Suddenly his sword cut down and one of the bandits shrieked as his sword and two of his fingers fell to the ground with a spurt of blood. Ginmaru spun again in a whirl of black and suddenly his sword was driving forward, past the other's guard and through his throat. Blood exploded from the back of his neck as the swords tip shot forward and trickled down the silver blade. Before it could reach his hands, though, Ginmaru drew the blade out and, twisting on his heel, turned the movement into a high cut that ripped through the other's chest.

He paused, arms crossed, head lowered, sword stretched out. They fell to the ground limply and he rose back to full height, flicking his sword so the blood flew from its edge.

"That the last of them?" he said coolly. He looked up at Yobou and his eyes were like raw steel, blue flickering through the grey. Yobou felt mildly sick, less from the sheer volume of blood and more from how unaffected Ginmaru seemed, but pushed it away.

"Far as I can see," he finally replied. His voice was hoarse, and he hated himself for it, hated himself for showing any weakness. If he was going to be a great shinobi, he told himself, he had to look death in the face constantly. Today, he'd blinked first.

"All dead?" Ginmaru's voice was level, and it almost seemed as if he were talking about the weather.

"Mostly unconscious," Yobou replied. _Except yours_, he wanted to say, but didn't. It would just be stating the more-than-obvious.

"Well that was a bit of a workou – " Imi began as she walked around the corner of the wagon. She stopped, though, both in her words and in her steps as her eyes fell on the dead bodies, on Ginmaru's still-red blade. She clapped a hand to her mouth as her eyes widened. "Oh…Oh god. They're…d-dead. You killed them!"

Behind his mask, Ginmaru pursed his lips. There was an ugly expression in his eyes that Yobou didn't like, but he was privately glad that someone had said it, and more glad that it wasn't him.

"They would have done the same to us," Ginmaru hissed. "And we're not children. We're _supposed_ to be shinobi. Get used to it, or start selling ramen."

Color rose to Imi's cheeks and she looked ready to make a retort, but another flicker of her gaze to the corpses and she held it back. Ginmaru just scoffed, letting the withering look linger for just a moment longer, and turned away as he returned his sword to its sheath.

"Oi, sensei!" Yobou called, trying to break the tense atmosphere. "We ready to move out yet?"

Suddenly a man jumped up in front of the wagon, a long, well-polished staff in his hands. He stabbed out with it and Yobou just barely moved back in time to avoid being hit. He rolled off the edge of the roof, however, and hit the ground with a groan, stars exploding in front of his eye.

Ginmaru and Imi both looked back at him in the same instant, eyes full of shock as they tried to process what had just happened. Before they could, however, two more men appeared. One slashed out by Ginmaru's cheek with a long, wickedly curved knife. Ginmaru barely turned his head in time, but was hit instead by the fist that struck him in the gut, knocking the wind out of him and sending him falling to his knees. Imi was bounced into the air at the same time by a kick to the gut, and then flipped back through the air when the man's other knee hit her in the jaw.

Slowly a man walked forward from the front of the wagon. He was tall and muscular, lean and athletic in build. His head was shaved and his eyes were small, almond-shaped and deep brown. Tattoos covered his skin in strange, runic patterns, and his chest was bare save a ring of beads around his neck. Draped over one shoulder was the skinny body of Yoshimori, and in front of him slumped Eiri – unconscious, hands bound behind her face, and a nasty bruise forming near her temple.

"I'm afraid you won't be heading out any time soon at all," he said, his voice low and cold. "In fact, you won't be heading out ever again."

* * *

Little Details Corner –

Names:

_Yoshimori _– Just another name in katakana with no particular meaning behind it.

Yoshimori runs a restaurant in Konoha, specifically, and is transporting food to the outpost. Just in case you were curious as to the specifics.

These are, in fact, the first kills Ginmaru has made in battle, but it is far from the first time he's spilled blood in combat. Yobou and Imi have yet to take a life, and this is the first time either has seen death in front of their own eyes.

Eiri is, really, tougher than she seems just now, what with the unconscious and tied up thing. More on that next chapter, though.


	4. The Tattooed Bandit, Mahata!

**Title**: The Tattooed Bandit, Mahata!

**Fandom**: Naruto: Burning Ambition

**Rating**: PG-13

**Warnings**: Original Characters. An attempt at being epic. Violence, strong language, possible adult contact.

**Word Count**: 2208

**A/N**: Lots more action and fun, and proper bad guys now, yay Well, almost proper. They get names, at least. That's…really all I've got to say.

* * *

"I'm afraid you won't be heading out any time soon at all," he said, his voice low and cold. "In fact, you won't be heading out ever again."

Yobou winced and got back to his feet. His head throbbed where it had struck the ground, but his pride hurt even worse. He had been caught off guard – after supposedly playing look out, no less – and nearly knocked out by a simple staff-wielding bandit. This was a slight against his honor that had to be rectified.

He walked out around the edge of the caravan and stopped when he saw the tall man holding Eiri and Yoshimori. He wall tall and lean, darkly tanned and covered with sprawling black tattoos. As if to show this off, he wore no shirt, just a pair of deep red pants. Intricate patterns were shaved in his nearly bald hair, and lines cut through his eyebrows. He was strange and exotic, and unquestionably dangerous.

"Who are you?" Yobou asked, trying to sound tough despite the throbbing behind his eyes.

"That's no concern of yours," the tattooed man said dryly.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Yobou said, rolling his head from one side to the other until his neck cracked. "I just have a list of all the baddies I trash, and I kind of like names. Shall I just put you down as 'Tattooed Weirdo,' then?"

"You'll not talk to master Mahata that way!" boomed a voice. The staff-wielding bandit dropped down from the wagon, scowling defiantly at Yobou. His body rippled as he hit the ground, both from the thickness of his muscle and the belly that hung over the edge of his belt. Like Mahata, his chest was bare and he was bald, but his skull shined in the sunlight. Slowly he pointed the tip of his staff at Mahata. "You will show him respect!"

"Sorry, big-boy, but I don't give respect to preening, arrogant bandits."

"Ha!" another of the bandits barked with laughter. He, too, was muscular, tall, and tan, but he had long, greasy black hair that hung about his face and thick, wild stubble over his chin and cheeks. In his hand he held a glittering, curved knife. Showing off his bulging arms, he'd apparently ripped the sleeves of his ragged shirt, and his pants were likewise dirty and torn. "The boy's got fire! I like it!"

At his side, the last bandit let out a soft sigh, a look of displeasure crossing his pinched, narrow features. Unlike the other three, he was more slim and wiry, dressed in conservative colorless robes and with plain, short brown hair. "Please refrain from complimenting the competition, Bankara."

"You can all stop complimenting him," Ginmaru suddenly grunted. He pushed himself to his feet, one hand pressed against his gut, and glared up at Bankara. "One-Eye isn't nearly as cool as he'd like to think."

"Look who's talking," Imi growled, sitting up and rubbing her lip. It was bleeding badly, but the rage in her at being so rudely knocked down overwhelmed the pain. "You're not exactly the king of awesome yourself. _He_ didn't get knocked out."

Mahata sighed and let his eyes close. "I am reminded why I loathe children. Just eliminate them already."

"Now you're talking!" Bankara whooped.

Ginmaru barely had time to grab his sword again as Bankara charged forwards, machete raised. The blades rang together and Ginmaru could feel the force of the blow shuddering up through his arm. Bankara gave him no time to recover, though, bringing his knife down again and again on Ginmaru's sword, hitting him from numerous different angles that he could just manage to block.

Ginmaru could feel his arm going numb from the constant assault, and finally dropped it down just as Bankara struck, letting the other arm's man fall unsupported. As he lurched forward, Ginmaru stabbed out with the tip of his sword and saw it graze Bankara's upper arm, drawing bright red blood. Bankara hissed out a breath and suddenly lashed out with his empty hand. His fist closed around the front of Ginmaru's shirt and whirled around, tossing him into the nearest tree with great force.

"Ginmaru - !" Imi barely had time to shout before she found herself suddenly dodging a hand-strike aimed right at her face.

She wheeled back from attack, and found herself face to face with the narrow-eyed bandit. He raised his hands in a martial-arts pose before charging forward, stabbing and slashing out at high speed. The wind rushed against her skin as she weaved around each hit, if only barely. When he pulled back, though, he flipped into the air and swung out a spinning kick that connected with her raised forearms, driving her painfully back.

"How pathetic," the bandit sneered, raising his hands again as he stretched out on the ground. "Is this really the best Konoha can provide?"

"Let's find out!" Imi's hand went quickly to the shaft of her nunchaku and she drew it from her belt. It whirled quickly as she swung it out, charging forward directly at the bandit. She stopped the spin and drove her hand forward, the black wood shaft cutting an arc through the air. The man just weaved under it, though, and darted behind her back, swinging out his elbow and sending her crashing forward into the ground.

"No," he said coolly, suddenly reaching between his fingers. From between them he drew a shining length of wire. "I think we should just finish this. Remember my name in the afterlife, girl. Remember that Li-Chen is the one who killed you."

At the same time, Yobou was reeling back from a blow, the large bandit's weapon crashing into his elbow blades. He drew his staff back from the stab and twirled it between his fingers before lashing out with several overhead swings. Yobou met each of them with the flats of his tonfa. Another low, horizontal swing crashed into his side and sent him skidding through the dirt, dragging his heels.

"You're pretty quick, big guy," Yobou said with a wince, raising both his hands in a ready stance.

"The name's Popo," the bandit grunted. "And of course I'm quick. I'm a student under the great master Mahata in ninjutsu, and his greatest pupil!"

"Oho? Learning ninjutsu, are you? Well, why don't you show me some? Don't hold back on my account, oh fearsome Popo!" Yobou said, grinning broadly.

Scowling, Popo lifted his staff and gripped it tightly in both hands. "If you insist, child. Now, taste the sting of my _Ryuurin no Jutsu_!"

When Popo stabbed out with great force, Yobou raised his weapons quickly to block the strike. However, as he did so, the end of the staff seemed to split into five. He had little time to keep up with the move, let alone try and discern the true staff, and before he could even think to move his elbow blades, the real staff moved under his guard, driving him right below his sternum. The air flew from his lungs at he fell back hard against the ground, just managing to roll to his feet.

Popo twirled the weapon between his fingers again before slamming the end against the ground at his side. "Now how do you feel about master Mahata's teachings, arrogant child?"

"Stop playing and eradicate them," Mahata growled softly from where he stood. "These children should not be taking so long, not at the hands of _my_ students."

"Apologies, boss," Bankara jeered. One meaty arm was raised and his hand was fisted in Ginmaru's shirt again, pinning him up against the tree. In the other he still held his thick dagger, slowly raising it up above his head. "I'll be done with this one in just a moment, promise."

"Sorry, but that's not going to happen!"

Mahata's eyes snapped open wider and he turned his head a moment before Eiri threw her arms wide. The wire that had been tied around her wrists snapped as she did so, rings of red formed across her skin. She spun quickly on her heel and shot her hand forward into Mahata's chest, sending him flying back. Yoshimori rolled off his shoulders and she caught the man in her own arms, setting him gently by the wheel of the wagon.

"Now, you three," she growled, eyes narrowed to slits as she glared from one bandit to the next. "Let my kids go before I rip your arms right the hell off!"

Bankara paused with his arm raised and Ginmaru took the chance. He raised his legs and kicked them out against the man's stomach, pushing him back hard. Instantly he was on his feet with sword in hand again, pointed dead at Bankara's heart.

"Thanks for the assist, Eiri-sensei!" he called. "'Course, I think red's the one who needs it more!" he added with a sneer.

"Shut it, dick!" Imi called back. She suddenly rolled around and swung up her leg in the process, kicking Li-Chen hard in the wrist. Once on her back, she moved up onto her shoulders before flipping onto her feet and, as soon as she was up, swung her nunchaku forward into his chest, staggering him back. "I'm not the one who nearly got his head cut off!"

Li-Chen quickly lashed out with his hand, however, and Imi felt something graze across her cheek. A cut traced across her skin, slowly leaking blood, and she saw the wire dangling from Chen's fingers.

"Don't be so sure of that, little girl," he said sleekly. "My _Sanwana no Jutsu_ is much more deadly than you might have thought."

"Ah, so you can all use jutsu, then?" Yobou said, getting to his feet again with another grunt of pain. "This might just be fun, after all."

"Don't be so sure, child," Popo said darkly. "Dying shouldn't be much fun at all. _Ryuurin no Jutsu_!"

Again he stabbed out, and again the staff seemed to bloom into five ends instead of just one. This time, though, Yobou rolled to the side instead of blocking, and pushed off hard to throw himself at the large bandit. Popo didn't have time to draw his staff back before Yobou had moved into range, and the blunt top of his elbow blade cracked against Popo's jaw.

"I think we've got this covered, Eiri-sensei, so you can just take another nap, if you want!" He turned and flashed a broad grin at her while Popo staggered back, eyes squeezed shut against the pain.

Eiri scowled and clicked her tongue in an irritated way at her student's antics. "Now is the not the time for joking around! You all nearly could've been – "

She stopped in mid sentence, a surprised look on her face, and jumped to the side. A moment after, someone came up behind her and struck the ground, causing it to explode in a cloud of dirt. Her hand touched down on the ground and she skidded away from the impact, eyes trained on the shadowy figure within the haze. Up from the dust rose Mahata himself, handed folded in a snakehead shape. He turned and sneered at Eiri, and let his hand fall to the side.

"I'm impressed," he said coolly. "You woke up faster than I expected you would."

"That technique," Eiri said, brow furrowing, ignoring his jabs. "I know who you are, bandit."

Mahata's thin lips twisted in an ugly grin that didn't reach his eyes. He slid into a fighting stance, his legs wide and one hand raised above his head, once again in the snakehead. "You know my technique? I'm honored. Taste it, then. _Juunikyu-ryu, Hebi_!"

He was dashing forward in an instant. Eiri could see the chakra flaring around his raised hand and then it was striking down. She flipped to the side and he stabbed down again, striking a tree that had been just behind her. A perfectly cone-shaped crater formed around his hand as it struck. She moved around him again, but he turned before she could press the advantage, smirking.

"The _Juunikyu-ryu_," Eiri said softly, body tensed and unmoving. "I remember hearing about it. A deadly and powerful taijutsu style, practiced by only one shinobi…"

"Because he killed his own master, yes, that would be the right story," Mahata finished, looking cheerful with himself. "And I am that shinobi, as you must have guessed."

A dark look flashed over Eiri's features, not fear or anger, but somewhere between the two. "The sole practitioner of _Juunikyu-ryu_, the traitor to his village, and former Jounin of Konoha. You're _that_ Mahata."

"So proud to make your acquaintance," he said mockingly. "So tragic that I have to eliminate you now. Now, all of you!" he suddenly shouted. "Bankara, Li-Chen, Popo! Kill the brats while I take care of the woman!"

* * *

Little Details Corner –

Names:

_Mahata and Co. _– No meaning, just katakana.

Jutsu:

_Ryuurin no Jutsu_ – Art of the Willow Grove

_Sanwana no Jutsu_ – Art of the Acid Snare

_Juunikyu-ryu, Hebi_ – Zodiac Style, Snake

As said, Mahata killed his master and any other students shortly before fleeing the village, doing so around five years ago. He took to being a bandit afterwards, where he recruited his current three apprentices and began teaching them ninjutsu.


	5. Juunikyuryu, 12 Deadly Strikes!

Title: Juunikyu-ryu, Twelve Deadly Strikes

**Title**: Juunikyu-ryu, Twelve Deadly Strikes!

**Fandom**: Naruto: Burning Ambition

**Rating**: PG-13

**Warnings**: Original Characters. An attempt at being epic. Violence, strong language, possible adult contact.

**Word Count**: 2022

**A/N**: Not much to say this time, other than Eiri is amazing and I love her. Also, Mahata is a tricky bastard, but I think he's really growing on me. Like a fungus.

* * *

"_Hebi!_"

Birds clattered to the air from the trees and the ground exploded in clouds of dust. Eiri leapt back from one such cloud and Mahata followed, his hand raised and glowing with chakra. She remained always one quick step ahead of him, but only barely. Slowly he pushed her back deeper into the woods, and further away from her students.

"Don't you know how to do anything but dodge?" Mahata sneered. "Or is that all they teach in Konoha these days?"

He gave her little time to reply to the insult, however, darting in swiftly and stabbing out his hand a mere inch from her cheek. She snapped her head to the side just in time. Taking advantage of the close range, she twisted on her heel and swung her other leg up in a high kick, aiming right at Mahata's cheek.

"Oh, they still teach plenty!"

Mahata just smirked again and shot up his arm to the side, raising it to block. As he did so, he pressed his other hand against his forearm. Eiri's shin made contact with his guard and she grit her teeth. It felt like she was kicking solid granite. She quickly moved back, stepping tenderly on her leg at first just to test its strength.

"Don't like my _Ohitsuji_?" Mahata said, turning to face her. His lips quirked in another hollow grin, eyes full of nothing but hatred. "You should have known better than to underestimate my Juunikyu-ryu."

"I'll try not to make the same mistake again," Eiri said coolly, glaring down at the bandit. She vaguely remembered Mahata as a ninja of Konoha, more from hearsay than actual experience. He had been a Jounin when she was just a Chuunin, just a child, and left only two years after her promotion. The only information she really had on the man was that he was a traitor, and he was dangerous.

What worried her more than fighting the ex-Jounin, though, was leaving her students behind against the three other bandits. She had full faith in all their skills, but experience, ruthlessness, and bloodlust were all helpful things to have on the battlefield – things that her kids, in most part, lacked.

"No time for daydreaming!" Mahata shouted suddenly, drawing her from her thoughts. Before she could fully react he was leaping forward, hands raised to attack.

She readied herself to meet him as he landed but he didn't hit the ground, not right away – his feet pushed off thin air right in front of her with just the faintest flicker of chakra, and then he was over her head. She just barely had time to react as he landed behind her, and managed to turn enough to block his elbow with her palm instead of her ribs.

"Surprised?" he asked, eyebrow raised arrogantly. "My _Usagi_ is something of a singular talent, I'll admit, but it's really the same principle as walking on water, or trees. Just much harder."

"You really love listening to yourself talk, don't you?" Eiri hissed, swinging up her knee. Mahata just pulled away and her blow swiped right past his stomach, making him laugh mirthlessly.

"Not really, I just like educating the bewildered."

Again, Mahata whipped away before she could give a retort. The man set her teeth on edge with his insults, obviously trying to make her feel young and weak and stupid just for a few missteps. But she knew what his plan was and forced herself to be calm. She was not going to let him drive her into doing something stupid.

"_Ushi!"_

He charged forward quickly, shoulders squared and fists pulled back at his sides. As she prepared to guard herself, though, his feet tensed and he sprung up in the air in front of her. His feet shot out in a piston-kick that drove her back off balance. While he fell back, he shot his hands out, flipped onto his heels, and lunged forward. His shoulder drove hard into her gut, sending her flying back into the dirt.

She coughed violently as she sat up, breath burning as it filled her lungs, while he just stood there sneering. "You really have to stop trusting people so much. It could get you killed."

She spat harshly and glared down at him as she rose to her feet. "You're a rat, Mahata!"

There was that grin again, that never reached beyond his thin lips. "Among other things, yes, I suppose I am. _Nezumi!_"

He crouched low and started moving again, his elbow lifted. This time she watched him closely, though, eyes narrowed in concentration. _Don't trust the obvious,_ she told herself,_ there will be a trick._

And she was right – his elbow shot out only a bit before he was twisting, leg sweeping across the ground. She jumped just in time, and when his other elbow swung towards her gut, she brought down her hand to block it, just pushing away from him.

"You're getting better," he said, with every hint of sincerity in his voice. "I might just have some trouble after all.

Eiri just hissed and flipped her braid back over her shoulder. She never let her eye fall away from Mahata's body, not for a second. He would slip away like an oiled snake if she gave him the chance, and she wouldn't take that risk. As she watched on, he let his limbs slowly relaxed until he looked half-drunk, except for that coldly calculating look in his eyes. She stood calm, and he attacked again.

"_Saru!_"

This time, though, he weaved and swayed as he approached, body limp and swaying as he moved. He let one hand swing back and brought it forward in a long sweep as he closed in. She was not surprised, however, when he flipped up over her head – she'd learned not to take anything at face value with him. She was surprised, though, when his feet planted between her shoulders, sending her rocking forward. She barely managed to keep from hitting the ground face first.

He landed on a treebranch up above, which bent under his weight but didn't snap. Slowly, she pushed herself to her feet again while he smirked from up on his perch. She glared as she met his narrowed eyes, but he just spread his arms wide and bowed his head.

She had little time to turn and face him before he was shooting through the air down at her, legs curled under him and shoulders jutting forward. She crossed her arms over her chest and he closed in like a human missile, wind whistling around his body. Suddenly, he began to spin, twisting back so one leg shot up, foot ready to strike her in the chin. Before it could make contact she pushed her arms forward and blocked him, stopping his ankle in its arc.

To her surprise, his body didn't stop. His other leg swung high and he went nearly horizontal before he gave a grunt of effort. His muscles rippled under his dark skin and he brought his legs down hard, chopping through her guard with his heel. Her arms dropped and his feet hit the ground, already squared in position. She watched dumbly as his fists first curled back to his side and then shot out, and could do nothing but fly back as they collided with her ribs.

"_Tori, Una, Ino_," Mahata purred as he stood up to his full height. He grinned smugly at Eiri's prone body as she pulled herself up from the dust again. "An impressive combo, wouldn't you say?"

Eiri stood slowly, back to the bandit, braid flickering through the air as she tossed her head back. She turned her head, a gradual, purposeful movement, until her eye was on Mahata. It burned.

"I think I've had enough," she said softly. "There's no more need to play with you, Mahata of the Juunikyu-ryu."

For the first time, emotion flickered across Mahata's face, an ugly rage. "Playing with me? You arrogant little girl…!"

"Haven't you noticed," she cut in, her voice sharper than any kunai, "that I haven't been really trying? I've been testing you."

She flickered suddenly, and before Mahata could blink she was under him, crouched at his feet. Her foot stabbed up and hit him squarely under his chin, sending him flying up high into the air, stars exploding in front of his eyes. "_Konoha Senpuu!"_

She crouched on all fours for a moment before leaping up after him, her entire body corkscrewing through the air. Just before she reached him she swung out her leg and it smashed down into his chest, sending him flying down towards the ground.

But it wasn't over yet. As his body dropped her braid swung out and wrapped around his waist. With a single tug of her head his body was springing back up, wrenching painfully at his shoulder. With him back in range, she brought up her fist and shot it down hard dead in the center of his chest. The braid unwound from his wrist and he struck the ground like a meteor in an explosion of dust and stones. "_Konoha Arashi!"_

She hit the ground a moment later and adjusted her collar. Her eyes were trained on the cloud of dirt his body had kicked up. Quietly, coolly, she said, "The test is over. I'm afraid you didn't pass."

* * *

Elsewhere, things were not going so well for Team 10.

Yobou panted and thumbed his freely bleeding lip. Sweat trickled down from his brow and made locks of his indigo hair cling annoyingly to his skin. A light sheen covered his opponent's bare belly, but his breath was level, his body almost unmarked.

"Still so confident, little ninja?" Popo said coldly, voice rumbling from deep in his throat. "It looks like you're not as strong as you thought."

"Almost made me have hopes for ya, kids!" Bankara jeered, sending Ginmaru flying back with a powerful kick to his stomach.

Ginmaru picked himself up slowly, grunting softly under his breath. His chest and arms were crisscrossed with fresh cuts, and one of his sleeves was almost severed, dangling by just a few stitches. He reached up with his empty hand and ripped it off, flicking his eyes from the sleeve to Bankara's face. They narrowed into a fierce glare.

"I liked this coat, you tool," he snarled.

Imi, too, was covered in cuts, crossed over her cheeks, her arms, her legs, her stomach. Her breath came in harsh pants and she kept swiping at a freely bleeding slash above her left eye to keep her vision clear.

"Give it up, whelp," Li-Chen said in his sleek voice. "I don't like the thought of your pathetic blood on my hands, but I will spill it if I must."

Suddenly an explosion rocked the forest from the direction Eiri and Mahata had gone. All the fighter's eyes flickered briefly towards it, watching as dust sprayed over the treeline. Slowly, all of Team 10 began to grin.

"You hear that, you losers?" Ginmaru said, mask crinkling from his lips. He stood up and raised his sword, pushing back a few long strands of his fringe.

"I heard it," Imi said, nodding. "Sounds like Eiri-sensei took the kid gloves off."

Yobou let out a short laugh. "All right! You heard it, bozos!" He pointed a savage finger at Popo, and dragged the blade of his tonfa across his throat, only an inch or two from his skin. "Play time's over! It's round two, and we're pulling out all the stops!"

* * *

Little Details Corner –

Jutsu:

_Juunikyu-ryu, Ohitsuji_ – Zodiac-Style, Ram

_Usagi_ – Rabbit

_Ushi_ – Bull

_Nezumi_ – Rat

_Saru_ – Monkey

_Tori-Una-Ino_ – Bird-Horse-Boar

_Konoha Senpuu_ – Leaf Whirlwind, or Konoha Whirlwind

_Konoha Arashi_ – Leaf Storm, or Konoha Storm

Eiri is currently 25. She graduated the academy at 9, became a Chuunin at 13, and a Jounin at 18, and Mahata fled the village when she was 20 and he was 28, making him 33 now. Yobou, Ginmaru, and Imi are all 12. Of course. As are Team 5. Shuzen is 7 years Eiri's senior at 32.


End file.
